Shamefully, our country has decided to worship a buck rather than God. It also has chosen to attend a sporting even but never time for church. I am devoted to bringing more people to the realization that there is much more to life than having a good time and piling money in the bank.
A few years ago, when most folks had nothing, or next to nothing, they had a wonderfully un-complex life. I don't know about you but when I was growing up the family didn't have money to spare. I had suit for Sundays church and special occasions. This was a luxury that was saved up for all year long and was purchased in time for Easter. By that time, a year had gone by and as most children, I had outgrown the old suit but we gave it to someone who needed one, provided I had not spilled something on it or ruined it in some other way. My father worked, like most men of that time, five and one-half days a week, at least eight hours a day. On Saturday afternoon we might do something, but generally that time was devoted to house maintenance, lawn mowing, or some other endeavor that required the strong hand of a man.
No, women were not doing much outside of the home. My mother worked all week long mending clothes, cleaning house ( and that was a lot tougher then since these new conveniences we have today were not available. Saturdays were saved to help my father if need be, and getting the family ready for Sunday services. Monday was always wash day at our house and that meant using the old washing machine with the wringer on the top, then after wringing out the clothing, putting it into baskets and carrying it all outside where is would be hung with clothspins on that long group of rope lines stretched between two posts my father had cemented into the ground to keep them from tipping.
Yes, those were hard days, but I never knew it. We all appreciated what we had. It was called family in those days. We actually ate at the same time around the table in the evening when my father got home. We went to church as a family on Sunday, there were not stores open back then as Sunday was a day to thank God for what we had. Saturdays did have baseball somewhere during the summer, and some football, mostly at the high schools, on Friday nights. Its was a good time when our family sat around the one small room in the house that housed a piano, mandolin, violin, and a trombone. Singing the old songs and some church songs was wonderful, especially in the winter when we could also enjoy the heat from our coal furnace, some hot cocoa, and on special occasions fudge or popcorn.
I would trade today, with all the conveniences I and my wife enjoy, for yesterday with all of its hardships just for the warmth of family and the love that we shared.Nostalgia? Yes! Would I have lived as long as I have now? Probably not, but I would not have all of these "old age" illnesses and pains either.
All of these thoughts are just some fodder for your imagination in case you are still under that wonderful retirement age.
Hopefully, you will be able to think back to when you were a child and say "I am happy to be alive...I am happy to enjoy this marvelous holiday season, and especially this God filled Christmas.